Thread: Ruff drawer construction from sheet goods.

Jake - partly prejudice, but mostly for durability I'd definitely go ply over MDF or chipboard. I know they claim to have improved it these last 20 years or so, but so far I can't say I've noticed. Ply is lighter, stronger & just as easy to butt glue for rough drawers etc as that other muck and will stand up to abuse & humidity swings much better - you'll get a lifetime out of half decent ply, & not have to look at frayed edges as the other stuff starts to disintegrate. And the few $$s extra will soon be forgotten.

A toolbox I made from scrap ply 30 years ago is still going strong, (in someone else's shed). It was butt-ugly, but did the job until I just couldn't modify it any more to squeeze in another tool....

The old fence pickets would be the way to go if you had plenty of time, & do finger joints instead of d'tails. Looks almost as good & takes a fraction of the time if you've a lot to make. You could still use ply bottoms glued to the drawer on solid wood, so no need to muck about with rebating sides.

I'm all for maximum recycling!

Cheers,

I agree with IanW above
ply is definitely better
but I'd go the hardwood - little expense

Jake, for easy of use, I just use 3/4" ply. Light strong and thick enough to mount on runners. I use 1/4" for bases.

I would go for 19mm ply for sure.

Hi Jake,

I use MDF - just rip a bit of 41mm pine diagonally to create triangular mouldings to reinforce the corners (glued and screwed)

19mm ply's about $150 a sheet, MDF is about $40 at a guess

As you said, use a few biscuits to hold the base in place.

I just use the 19mm MDF for the base.

If you want to muck around and make it look pretty, glue a board onto the front as a false front.


Cheers,

eddie

I make all mine out of 13mm chipboard because a bloke I know who owns a joinery gave me about 50 sheets of the stuff - cover sheets off melamine board. I set up the dado blade and do rebated joints, whack on some construction glue and use the finish nailer to bang them together. They may not last forever but they were about as cheap as you can possibly get.

So if you know someone who makes kitchens....

Ply.

Light, strong, easy to work with [dust/smell wise], "waterproof" - depending on what you get, can be left unfinished or coated later if you wish

Be aware that if you go the "cheap" versions of ply [type with knots/fillers in some places], that there will be voids which you won't see from the surface but often turn up where you don't need or want them - for this reason [as well as the thought that you are using the drawers for tool storage] I would add some quad moulding on the inside corners - takes up little room and strengthens the corner considerably.

If you have the time use the pickets - should last forever but will probably be heavier.

The plywood supplier in my area sells a lot of off-cut ply, mdf and chipboard for a very good price. 1/3 sheet of mdf for $5, or ¼ sheet of ply for $12, etc. I usually find some goodies there.

Also, you don't have to buy top quality plywood. Construction grade plywood will do it for you and they are cheaper.

Fence pickets won't be very dry so even after you machine they will move a lot.

I make all the drawers for my shed cabinets, as well as the shed cabinets, from 18mm MDF. I buy "seconds", sheets with perhaps a damaged edge or the like, for $15 for 2400x1200.

I pin the drawer frame together with a brad gun, after gluing and rebating the sides for a 18mm bottom, then screw. Funny, I have never had a sagging bottom in my shed drawers.

I clear finish all the exteriors, but don't finish the insides.

You can see an example here.

Being a bit financially challenged at the moment and just a plain tight ???? when it comes to building drawers for the workshop I am building all the drawers out of reclaimed pine pallets. Your plan to use the fence posts would be just the same. The big downside is the time it takes and it is a bit more complex than using sheet material. I reckon it will save me hundreds of dollars and be far stronger. The strength thing is not always an issue if the contents are light so don;t get carried away with it.

I was thinking of drawers made from sheets as well, but I don't know a lot about sheet products. I do know I don't like the look of the 'standard' ply available at bunnings; any ply I used in the past was AA birch ply. Where does one buy good ply? Can bunnies/Mitre order it in?

Many of the drawers in my shed are recycled - thrown-out during lab refurbishments. They are solid wood (mostly ash sides but a few are pine (Hoop).

I either assembled some as-is, or fitted them into the furniture as I went along. It's kind of weird building cabinets to fit round drawers, instead of t'other way round, but challeges your ability to work accurately!

So far I have built all of my benches & cupboards from recycled or scrap wood. If you don't count the resharpening of one set of planer blades (one of those effing high-tensile nail things!), it was all freeeee.

Originally Posted by Woodwould

I was thinking of drawers made from sheets as well, but I don't know a lot about sheet products. I do know I don't like the look of the 'standard' ply available at bunnings; any ply I used in the past was AA birch ply. Where does one buy good ply? Can bunnies/Mitre order it in?

Pretty hard to get birch ply up our way, WW. But there are some pretty good local products if you are happy to part with those kinds of $$$$s

Cheers,